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II. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
•18th century intellectual
Enlightenment
movement which emphasized
reason and the scientific
method as the means to
perfect society
•thinkers during this "Age of Reason" challenged the established social
order by calling for a just society based on reason
A. PATH TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Was an 18th century philosophical movement of intellectuals who were greatly impressed with the achievements of the Scientific Revolution.
POLITICAL THINKERSJOHN LOCKE
•People have natural rights no government
can take away without consent of the people
•Purpose of government is to protect the
rights of the people
•Citizens have the right to rebel
against government that does not respect
rights of the people
•The statement “No taxation without
representation” was partly influenced by him
(1632-1704)
1. JOHN LOCKE
Argued that every person was born with a tabula rasa or blank mind. He suggested that people were mold by the experiences that came through their senses from the surrounding world. Believe that if environments were changed and people were exposed to the right influences, then people could be changed to create a new and better society.
JOHN LOCKEEnglish empirical philosopher,
author of Two Treatises on Government -
people have natural rights (life,
personal liberty, property);
government is a social contract
between people and those who
govern
his ideas were used to justify the
American and French Revolutions;
words paraphrased by Jefferson
in Declaration of Independence
(1632- 1704)
2. ISAAC NEWTON
World machine operated according to natural laws, which could be uncovered through systematic investigation. If use scientific method would be able to discover the natural laws that governed human society.
(Basically, if people question what is happening in society then they can discover new ways to correct it which makes a better society.)
Philosophe
•member of a group of Enlightenment thinkers who tried to apply
the methods of science to the improvement of society
•in the 1700s, scientific successes convinced educated Europeans of
the power of human reason
•philosophes began to use reason to discover natural laws
“Lovers of wisdom”
B. IDEAS OF THE PHILOSOPHIES
Intellectuals of enlightenment called philosophe which means philosopher.
Most leaders of the enlightenment were French.
1. The Role of Philosophywas to change the
world.
2. MONTESQUIEU (FRENCH NOBLE)
Did a study of governments. Three basic kinds of government: 1. Republic for small states 2. Despotism for large states 3. Monarchies for moderate size states
Used England as an example of a monarchy. England had 3 branches of government-
Executive (king), legislative (parliament), the judicial (courts) Used separation of powers with a system of checks and
balances. Used his principles in the U.S. Constitution.
BARON de MONTESQUIEU•The separation of powers is the best
way to protect liberty.
•Each branch of government should serve
as a check on the others.
He believed the purpose of the separation of powers was to protect the rights of the people
Baron de Montesquieu1689-1755
•French noble, bishop and philosopher;
•developed idea of separation of power
in government in legislative, judicial
and executive functions,
each controlled by a different - and
competing - group within society;
author of The Spirit of the Laws
3. VOLTAIRE
Greatest figure was Francois Marie Arouet known as Voltaire. Especially known for his criticism of Christianity and his strong belief in religious toleration.
He championed deism, 18th century religious philosophy based on reason and natural law. In this view a mechanic (God) had created the universe. The universe was like a clock. God had created it, set it in motion and allowed it to run without his interference and according to its own natural laws.
Voltaire•pen name of Francois Marie Arouet•best-known literary figure of
the French Enlightenment•said "Ecrasez l'infame"
(Crush the infamous thing),•Believed freedom, reason,natural law and progress
would overcome the ignorance and intolerance
of the Church and social
authorities of his day
PHILOSOPHES
•Defended the free market
VOLTAIRE
and the principle of freedom
of speech.
•Used wit to expose
abuses and corruption
•Opposed the slave
trade and religious prejudice
(1694-1778)
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it”
Was jailed in the Bastille by King Louis XV
4. DIDEROT (1713-1784)
Denis Diderot, wrote the Encyclopedia to collect all the new information being brought into the world. Was a 28 volume set of information.An amazing first large-scale synthesis of all knowledge
C. NEW SOCIAL SCIENCES
1. SMITH ON ECONOMICS Was a physiocrat, French Enlightenment
thinkers, who searched for natural laws to explain economics. Rejected mercantilism(government regulation of trade)
Physiocrat was interested in identifying the natural economic laws that governed human society.
Maintained that if individuals were free to pursue their own economic self interest all society would benefit.
The state should not interrupt the free play of natural economic forces by imposing regulations on the economy. Became known as laissez-faire.
Adam Smith, in his work, The Wealth of Nations, he gave government 3 roles:
1st should protect society from invasion,2nd should defend from injustices 3rd and final, should keep up certain public works that private individuals alone could not afford. (Roads, canals-used for social interaction and trade.)
Adam Smith1723-1790
•Scottish economist and author ofWealth of Nations (1776);•first to describe and support capitalism
•tried to show that the natural
economic forces of supply and
demand were linked to profit and economic growth
•Supported "laissez faire" market system
and free trade among nations•Opposed mercantilism
(economy left alone by government tooperate through the efforts of private
Individuals motivated by desire for profit
2. BECCARIA ON JUSTICE
Cesare Beccaria believed that punishment should not be exercised in brutality. Was against capital punishment.
THE SPREAD OF IDEAS
1. THE SOCIAL CONTRACT
Jean Jacques Rousseau was one of the most famous of later enlightenment. Argued that people had adopted laws and government in order to preserve their private property. Rousseau presented his concept of the social contract. Through a social contract the entire society agrees to be governed by its general will. So liberty is
achieved by being forced to followed what is best for the
general will because the general will represents what is
best for the entire community. He sought a balance between heart and mind, between emotions and
reason.
Social contract
•agreement by which people trade freedom
to a government in exchange for security (avoid chaos)
2. WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Mary Wollstonecraft advanced the strongest statement for the rights of women. She noted that the same people who argued that women must obey men also said that government based on arbitrary power of monarchs over their subjects, was wrong.
She also argued that enlightenment was based on an idea of reason in all human beings. So women are entitled to same rights as men because women have reason.
WOMEN AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Enlightenment slogan“free and equal” did not
apply to women
The most radical idea
expressed by women in
the Enlightenment wasthat women were not
inferior to men
3. THE GROWTH OF READING
Great importance to enlightenment was the spread of ideas to the literate elite.
Many new books were written and directed at the new reading middle class.
London had the first daily newspapers.
4. THE SALON
Were the elegant drawing rooms of the wealthy upper class’s great urban houses.
Brought writers and artists together with aristocrats, government official, and wealthy middle class people.
Marie Geoffrin was one of the greatest. Here they would sway political opinions and influence
literacy and artistic taste.
THE ROLES OF CENSORSHIP AND SALONS
• Thinkers during the Age of Reasonchallenged the established social order bycalling for a just society based on reason
•Government and church officials foughtagainst these Enlightenment ideas throughcensorship
5 RELIGION IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT Attacked Christian Church yet most
enlightened thinkers were still Christian. In England the most famous new religious
and evangelical movement-Methodism was
started by John Wesley. His sermons often
caused people to have conversion experiences.
SECTION 2 REVIEW
Philosphers, writers, economists, social reformers
Philosophes To let (people) do (what they want) Laissez-faire Rousseau argued that society should be
governed by what? Social contract
SECTION 2 REVIEW
In The Wealth of Nations, ________ gave roles to the government. These roles included protection(army),public works (roads and canals), and defense(the police).
Adam Smith Who believed in: balance of heart and mind,
rule of the general will, and education fostering natural instincts?
Rousseau
SECTION 2 REVIEW
Diderot’s Encyclopedia was used to attack what?
Religious superstition A system of political limits and controls Separation of powers Idea that God lets the universe run by
its own laws deism
SECTION 2 REVIEW
Allows for society to be governed by its general will.
Social contract Montesquieu’s ideas were used in
what? U.S. Constitution